Catching a Bee Swarm
Posted: October 25th, 2009 | Author: janaka | Filed under: Interesting | No Comments »This was a early season catch of a swarm from one of the Camphill Farm hives. Nice video Alex!
Our resident apiarist Jack Daly catches a swarm with intern Asa Waldenstroem. We knew the hive was getting ready to reproduce itself by swarming (this happens when the hive produces queen bee cells.) A new queen bee is born and about half the hive leaves with the old queen. The low drumming helped keep the bees low and fortunately they settled on the pear tree. The timing couldn’t have been better; Valariana Pasqua-Masback, a fellow bee keeper (and wonderful midwife) happened to come by with bee gear and once the swarm’s buzzing calmed down Jack shook the new hive with its young queen into a big box where they stayed for a few hours before being moved into their own new house….
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